Container for the pickup and feed of a cartridge

ABSTRACT

A container is open on both sides and is used for the pickup and feed of a cartridge having a bottom flange. The container is a component of a magazine revolving behind a cannon across the bore axis thereof on an endless-track disposed in the turret of a tank, or especially of an armored car. In the container, the cartridge lies in the grip of at least two pincers, which are in interconnection with the container in jacket perforations thereof and which can be tightened by means of a cam interacting with a sliding sleeve.

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a container which is open on bothsides, and which is used for the pickup and feed of a cartridge having abottom flange. The container is a component of a magazine revolvingbehind a cannon across the bore axis thereof on an endless-trackdisposed in the turret of a tank, or especially of an armored car. Inthe container, the cartridge lies in the grip of at least two pincers,which are in interconnection with the container in jacket perforationsthereof and which can be tightened by means of a cam interacting with asliding sleeve.

The equipment of such a container with at least two pincers, as known,e.g. German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2,948,146, allows only for apositive locking of the cartridge tranverse to its longitudinaldirection. In a longitudinal direction its locking is restricted to africtional engagement. According to an understanding which underlies thepresent invention, this is not good enough for meeting the cross-countryrequirements to be met by current-type armored vehicles for a safestorage of ammunition having a partially combustible case, and its feedto the cannon.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention, therefore, is to improve suchammunition containers to the effect that they provide the cartridge alsowith an axially fixed positive lock.

This problem is solved according to the invention by providing at leasttwo pawls being set in perforations in the container jacket, whichadjoin stops associated with the cartridge bottom flange shoulder ring.These pawls are coupled with a sliding sleeve by a rod linkage, which ateach container setting are aligned with the cannon barrel bore axis andare axially slidable by two tank turret disposed pins that arepreferably controlled by electromagnetic means. At least two springpawls having a cam rise slant are also externally assigned to thecartridge bottom.

According to the invention the pawls applied to the cartridge bottomflange on the one hand, and the spring pawls on the other hand, form apositive-locking axial lock and that way represent a considerablyimproved suitability of the container for an automatic loading deviceper se, and for a sensitive type of ammunition in particular. In thiscase the pawls together with the sliding sleeve are controlled via acommon rod linkage. This control is also optionally triggered, e.g. ifon the weapon side internally the container is to be charged manuallywith a new cartridge. In this case of manually charging the containerwith a new cartridge the spring pawl with its stopping face acting fromthe outside yields to this action without any trouble. The other pawl,which is to apply its stop to the shoulder ring of the cartridge bottomflange, must be preset to this effect, for which purpose its controlbolt is axially shifted only over a partial length to the extent ofhaving the sliding sleeve for the pincer cams stop short of externallygripping the cartridge in front.

Practicably the pawls are equipped with clamping jaws for the cartridge.In this way, and with only a minor engineering input, a secondary radialmounting can be effected.

For practical purposes the rod linkage is put under the load of acompression spring acting in a direction from cartridge tip to cartridgebottom. Thus the electromagnet has to be effective only in one directionand allows for a greater play on the pin, which being disposed in thetank turret is to maintain a safe clearance distance from the track ofthe revolving magazine.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An exemplified embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theattached drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of a tank turret reararea;

FIG. 2 a top view of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3-6 are sectional view of a container with a cartridge in fourvarious clamping positions; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective external view of the container.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 1 and 2 show the rear area of a tank turret 1, which is pivotablearound an upright axis line A--A. In turret 1a cannon 2 is supported andupwardly tiltable around a trunnion line B--B. The cannon 2 is loadedvia a loading ramp 4, with a cartridge 3 from one of the bilaterallyopen containers 5, which are components of a magazine 8 revolving on anendless-track 6 of a pair of chains across the bore axis 7 of cannon 2.In this case, the container 5 from which the loading is accomplished, isdisposed at the bottom end of the endless-track 6 in a position alignedwith the bore axis 7 of cannon 2. For this purpose the cannon 2 isswiveled into its zero elevation positions, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Atthis alignment angle the partition wall 9, which separates the magazine8 from the rest of the tank turret space, has a hole. Revolutions of themagazine 8 along conveyor chain track 6 can be powered by a motor 10 orunder emergency conditions also by manual means.

Each container 5 has three perforations 11 distributed over its jacketperiphery wherein lever arms 14 having pincers 15 attached thereto canbe swiveled into position around joints 13 for clamping the cartridge 3.While countering the force of a leaf spring 12 provided to lift thelever arm 14 with its attached cam 16 over the outer jacket of container5. The force of each spring 12 is counteracted by an inward-pushingsliding sleeve 17 to cause the pincers 15 to clamp the cartridge 3 in apositive-locking and vibration-free way. The sliding sleeve 17 has acircular shape and is connected to two stops 19 for pins 38, which aredisposed on both sides of the container 5 being aligned in the tankturret with the cannon barrel bore axis 7 via a plurality ofperipherally distributed rod lengths 18, of which only one is indicatedin FIGS. 3 thru 6 and shown in FIG. 7, and/or via a rod cage having twostops 19 for pins 38. Using a stationary shown schematically only byarrows in FIG. 7) electromagnet the rod lengths 18 or the rod cagerespectively can be so axially shifted to the left in FIG. 7, againstthe bias of at least one compression spring 20 provided at the oppositeend of 18, by the pins 38 which are acted upon in the direction of thearrows. In this way, the pincers 15 are moved out of their clampingposition (FIG. 4). This clamping position shown in FIG. 3 is locked upby the force of the spring 20, which is backed by the container.

In rigid interconnection with the rod linkage 18, 19 there is also abolt 21, which engages a slot 22 in a pawl 24 linked at the point 23 ofcontainer 5, which pawl is enabled to emerge into the jacket ofcontainer 5 through perforation 25. A stop 26 is associated with pawl 24and is shaped to engage against the shoulder ring of the bottom flange27 of cartridge 3. A plurality of pawls 24 are provided. To theunderside of bottom flange 27 a hook 28 of a spring pawl 30, which islinked at 29, is applied (FIG. 6). While the spring pawl or catches 30constantly projecting into the jacket of container 5 through aperforation thereof is swiveled out at its stopping face 31 only on theexternal charging of container 5 as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 6,the pawl 24, which for a subsequent radial clamping of the containersimultaneously can be equipped with a pincer 32, can be controlled,aside from its clamping position shown in FIG. 3 and locked up by spring20, both for loading the cannon with a cartridge according to FIG. 4 andfor the internal charging of container 5 with a new cartridge accordingto FIG. 5 or for its external charging via rods 18 according to FIG. 6.In their operational settings according to FIGS. 4 and 5 the pawls 24and pincers 15 are synchronously deactivated. On external chargingaccording to FIG. 6, however, the pawl 24 must be set ready for catchingthe bottom flange shouler ring 27 while the pincers 15 must be keptopen. For this purpose the sliding sleeve 17 relative to the cam 16,which it controls, has a return stroke section representing the axialstroke projection of a power stroke section of the slot 22 of pawl 24,which, being drawn on the left in FIGS. 3-6, can be seen in FIG. 6.Following the charging according to FIG. 6 the remaining axial stroke iscompleted on rod linkage 18, until the position of FIG. 3 is reachedagain.

To load the cannon or gun 2 via the loading ramp 4 the cartridge 3 ispushed out of container 5, which is in the position according to FIG. 4in the direction of the arrows, by the ram 33 (FIG. 2). For this purposethe latter is activated by a motor 35 or under emergency conditions bymanually operated deflector rollers 36.

FIG. 7 gives a perspective external view of the container 5 with rodlinkage 18 and both limit stops 19 for the pins 38 being disposed in thetank turret charging station. Also shown are the points of linkage 37 ofcontainer 5 to the endless track 6 of revolving magazine 8 formed bychain pairs (not shown in FIG. 7).

We claim:
 1. In a magazine for the gun of an armored vehicle, having anendless track with a plurality of cartridge containers each forcontaining a cartridge having a bottom flange, the improvement whereineach of the containers comprises:a jacket having opposite open ends forreceiving and discharging a cartridge, at least two first perforationsand at least two second perforations intermediate said opposite ends; apincer pivotally mounted to said jacket adjacent each of said at leasttwo first perforations and movable into each of said at least two firstperforations for frictionally engaging a cartridge in said jacket, eachpincer having a cam surface; a pawl pivotally mounted to sid jacketadjacent each of said at least two second perforations and movable intoeach of said at least two second perforations for engaging a cartridgein said jacket, each pawl having a limit stop shaped to engage at leasta top surface of a cartridge bottom flange in said jacket for positivelyholding a cartridge in said jacket from exiting said jacket through oneof said opposite openings; a sliding sleeve slidable over said jacketadjacent said at least two first perforations for engaging said camsurface of each pincer to move each pincer into engagement with acartridge in said jacket; a plurality of rods connected to said slidingsleeve and slidably mounted with respect to said jacket; said magazineincluding at least two pins movably mounted with respect to said jacketwhen said jacket is in alignment with the gun of the armored vehicle,for engaging said rods to move said sliding sleeve; drive meansconnected to said magazine for moving said at least two pins; each pawloperatively connected to said rods and sliding sleeve for moving intoand out of engagement with a cartridge in said jacket with movement ofsaid rods and sliding sleeve; and at least two spring catches pivotallymounted to said jacket and movable into engagement with a bottom surfaceof a cartridge bottom flange in said jacket to hold a cartridge frommovement from the other of said open ends.
 2. In a magazine according toclaim 1, the improvement wherein each pawl includes a clamping jawconnected thereto for frictionally engaging a cartridge in said jacket.3. In a magazine according to claim 2, the improvement including atleast one compression spring engaged with at least one of said rods forbiasing said sliding sleeve into engagement with each cam surface tomove each pincer into engagement with a cartridge in said jacket.
 4. Ina magazine according to claim 1, the improvement including a boltconnected to each rod, a cam slot defined in each pawl in which eachbolt is slidable for moving each pawl with movement of said rod, eachcam slot and each cam surface having a shape, and said pawls operativelyinterconnected with said pincers so that with movement of said slidingsleeve in a first direction to release said pincers from a cartridge insaid jacket, said pawls are moved to release a cartridge in said jacket,and with movement of said sliding sleeve in an opposite direction by anamount to partially move said pincers, said pawls are moved into fullengagement with a cartridge in said jacket.
 5. In a magazine accordingto claim 2, the improvement including a bolt connected to each rod, acam slot defined in each pawl and in which each bolt is slidable formoving each pawl with movement of said rod, each cam slot and each camsurface having a shape, and said pawls operatively interconnected withsaid pincers so that with movement of said sliding sleeve in a firstdirection to release said pincers from a cartridge in said jacket, saidpawls are moved to release a cartridge in said jacket, and with movementof said sliding sleeve in an opposite direction by an amount topartially move said pincers, said pawls are moved into full engagementwith a cartridge in said jacket.
 6. In a magazine according to claim 3,the improvement including a bolt connected to each rod, a cam slotdefined in each pawl and in which each bolt is slidable for moving eachpawl with movement of said rod, each cam slot and each cam surfacehaving a shape, and said pawls operatively interconnected with saidpincers so that with movement of said sliding sleeve in a firstdirection to release said pincers from a cartridge in said jacket, saidpawls are moved to release a cartridge in said jacket, and with movementof said sliding sleeve in an opposite direction by an amount topartially move said pincers, said pawls are moved into full engagementwith a cartridge in said jacket.